The Great Dallas ‘America is a Christian Nation’ Billboard War: Are the people claiming to be victims the real victims?

By Jacob Lever

Just exactly who is oppressing whom in Dallas these days? My choices are the mayor of Dallas, Mike Rawlings, or a Dallas pastor, Robert Jeffress (see above in photo).

Mayor Rawlings constructively denied Pastor Jeffress his right to free speech by way of tortuous interference, but we are led to believe that somehow Rawlings is the victim.

We are also led to believe somehow or some way the Dallas Morning News shares co-victim status.

The mayor, in partnership with Dallas Morning News columnist Robert Wilonsky, drummed up enough hate to have one of Jeffress’ advertisements banished from public view.

According to Todd Starnes’ website, Outfront Media wrote to the pastor, “Dallas Morning News and other news affiliates are doing stories on how it’s offensive and bigoted.”

And just exactly what is this bigotry? Jeffress advertised a June 24 sermon on a roadside billboard. We haven’t even heard the sermon yet, so that had better be one heck of a sneak peak on the billboard.

The title of the billboard was, “America is a Christian nation.”

The mayor decried it as a message of hate. Yes, hate.

Is that all it takes to hate you, Mr. Mayor? All I need to say is America is a Christian nation — that’s it?

Is that all it takes to hate you, Mr. Mayor? All I need to say is America is a Christian nation — that’s it?

“Someone called our corporate office in New York about the ‘offensive’ billboards and following our lawyer’s advice, we have to take them down ASAP,” Outfront was quoted as saying on Starnes’ website.

Rawlings and the Dallas Morning News would have you to believe Jeffress has committed a quasi-genocidal or perhaps pre-genocidal crime against humanity.

“Deep history is behind the words on that billboard — a library full of argument,” wrote Wilonsky. “But all I saw Wednesday was someone telling me and everyone else who does not worship Jesus Christ that we do not belong here.”

No thinking person who saw the billboard can take that seriously. Wilonsky is not the one who has been de-platformed and treated as the dangerous “other.” He’s not the victim here by any reasonable standard.

Wilonsky doesn’t quite have the guts to say what he means, so instead he will nudge you into the false impression that Christians are looking to treat non-believers as infidels. Christians are looking to strip Wilonsky of his rights, he’d have you to believe. It’s obviously not the case. Oh, I almost forgot, he implies they’re racist Jew haters.

I find myself, despite Jeffress’ deep, deep flaws, defending him as the victim of an out-of-control press and an oppressive government agency …

I find myself, despite Jeffress’ deep, deep flaws, defending him as the victim of an out-of-control press and an oppressive government agency that tortuously interfered with a private contract for the express purpose of violating the First Amendment.

The Blaze made a good point. Outfront can post as much nudity or vulgarity as it likes on any billboard. That’s perfectly OK in Dallas, but the words, “America is a Christian nation,” are unacceptable and must be censored.

As an aside, is Jeffress’ billboard untrue?

“There is no country in the world where the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America,” Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in 1835. “And there can be no greater proof of its utility and of its conformity to human nature than that its influence is powerfully felt over the most enlightened and free nation of the earth.”

Tocqueville carried credibility. The mayor and a once-great media outlet do not.

Jeffress found a different billboard company and will get 20 billboards to replace the two he lost. It serves the pernicious Dallas Morning News right. Same for the mayor.

Unsafe Space

Jacob Lever is a pseudonym for an independent columnist for Lubbock Lights. He loves Lubbock, his wife & kids, Jesus and a long list of other people. The original Jacob struggled with God and refused to let go until he could get a blessing. Sometimes that's how life is. Jacob believes that political correctness is deceitful and damaging. His political philosophy is best described as a small-government conservative.